Shakespeares Comedies

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Shakespeare’s Comedies

The New Comedy is an embodiment of many characters and plots. Shakespeare employs

this in his plays. The Shakespearean comedy is a play which is not just a series of jokes, fun or a

collective of festive customs. It is some ‘kind of history' which has a plot. New Comedy is said

to entail appropriate plot as well as characters. This is evidenced in Bartholomew's message to

Christopher Sly who he refers to as uncouth in the play "Taming of the Shrew" Moreover, the

New Comedies seem to follow a particular pattern although individual works vary.

Chastity is highly valued both in the early societies and in the new millennium societies.

However, the issue arising is whether chastity is embraced and how it can be imposed. In the

play "The Merchant of Venice," it is well expressed that men exclusively dictate the expectations

of women in the society. Importance is attached to the chastity of women and particularly young

women, and it is protected by all means. Virginity is a significant thing in the play and is

expected of women before marriage. The idea of sexual purity among women is portrayed

throughout this play. Virginity is liked to purity or chastity, and the fathers of the female

characters much emphasize it. For instance, Jessica's father even though dead, give her a

command always to lock herself in the house and avoid the going Christian festivals and

celebrations because he views it as a threat to Jessica's chastity.

The play “The Merchant of Venice,” clearly shows that their fathers strictly control

women. The society expects fathers to monitor the chastity of women. The purity or chastity of

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women is threatened in the metaphor of Salarino about the ship. Apart from that, Portia has the

desire to control his daughter's husband and also Jessica's father's command on remaining

indoors is a clear indication of how purity could lose meaning. The threat of infidelity among

women is even orchestrated by the Christian marriage which was supposed to enhance view

about "pure" sexual relations. A happy ending is expected in such a situation. Even though the

female characters seem to have lost their worth achieved from virginity, they can retain power in

their husbands through threats of sexual relations with other men. By doing this, they confirm

their fathers’ concern on their sexual purity for the sake of husbands. However, women have

been constrained by the power they achieve in sexuality.

In the play “The Taming of the Shrew,” Shakespeare creates an amusing example of a

patriarchal husband out of Petruchio and also develops Katherina into an example of shrew wife.

Shakespeare motivates the audience by to reconsider the idea about women and the way to treat

them. He cajolingly presents this through an emphasis on the foolish character of both Petruchio

and Katherina, showing the way Petruchio uses extreme and even taming techniques and

portraying Katherina as a shrewish woman and outrageous at the same time. This play uses

skillful ways to bring out the differences between positive characteristics of a respectful and as

well affectionate relationship and a negative relationship controlled by either an abusive husband

or a wife with shrew behavior. Petruchio always tends to use his falconry techniques until

Katerina decides to ‘stoop" him in obedience. Shakespeare demonstrates how men hold a

shallow opinion about women by emphasizing on the metaphor of falconry for characters taming

women. Apart from the play portraying Katherina’s vulnerable personality hidden in her verbal

blasts, it also shows her shrewdness to give proof of the pejorative moniker she deserves.

Shakespeare introduces to the audience the wounded and vulnerable nature of a young woman

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with the hidden shrewish character through Katherina’s relationship with her husband family, the

immediate family. The vulnerability of Katherina more pulls the audience's heartstrings. This

demonstrates the discouraging and painful experience women undergo in the society especially

after getting married and encountering a new family. Apart from that, Katherina’s shrewish

behavior makes Gremio respond to Baptista’s action of allowing him to court Katherina by

saying, "To cart her rather; she's too rough for me" However, it is apparent that Katherina is a

woman with Chastity. Her shrewish character has insured her chastity, and so, Gremio’s

comment about Katherina is so painful to her. Moreover, Baptista has no intention of defending

Katherina, but instead, he tries to encourage her to continue being with such abusive men as he

protects Bianca by sending her into house protection. Baptista’s neglectful approach towards

Katherina is a clear demonstration of how the society treats women. It also exhibits the way

women are treated inequitably. Shakespeare through this play illustrates how a woman's behavior

is contributed much by the family as well society way of handling them. Shakespeare shows how

wounded a woman is and how hidden her shrewdness is about the circumstance she experiences.

The sympathy for Katherina invited by the play does not show that Shakespeare approves her

shrewish behavior.

However, I agree with Katharine Maus' prompt that Shakespeare's heroines are not chaste

because chastity needs to be forcibly imposed on them. I say this because, in the plays, it is well

evidenced that Jessica's father was to die and who knows if Jessica would stay in the house.

Apart from that, preventing daughters from attending recreational functions does not give a

guarantee that they will refrain from sexual impurity and immoralities. Also, being shrewd

doesn't mean a woman is chaste. The Shakespeare's society only emphasizes on the notions of

cultural pride in virginity as physical purity.

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In conclusion, it is evident from the play "The Merchant of Venice" that chastity in the

Shakespeare society is the sexual purity or virginity that is embraced by women. Patriarchal

fathers control this sexual relations purity and it is seen as their role. Virginity is highly valued as

it is seen as a measure of purity and chastity. This is even expected from the young women in the

Shakespeare's society as it a requirement of them before marriage. A woman's chastity is so

crucial that daughters were prevented from engaging in any recreational activity like celebrations

and festivals since such activities are a threat to the moral upbringing of young women.

However, apart from being a good idea, this is had contributed to the enslavement of young

women by their fathers before and even after marriage. This is shown in the way Jessica's father

commands her to remain indoors and avoid Christian celebrations outside even when he is gone.

Apart from that, Portia's father desire to control Portia's husband is also an indication of the

negative obsession with sexual purity which even threatens its nature and existence. On the other

hand, the play "The Taming of the Shrew" clearly presents the experience women undergo and

the expectations of the society. The play portrays how inequitably, and neglectful the society is

towards women. This is illustrated in Baptista’s hidden intentions towards Katherina. The

expectations men have towards women is also exhibited. Shakespeare demonstrates how

women’s chastity is well wrapped and insured by their shrewd behavior.

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Works Cited

Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for William Shakespeare's" The Taming of the Shrew."

Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.

Mangan, Michael. A Preface to Shakespeare's Comedies. Routledge, 2014.

Shakespeare, William, et al. The Norton Shakespeare: Essential Plays, the Sonnets. WW Norton

& Company, 2009.

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Cambridge University Press, 2018.

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